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“Growing up in Hawaii, being on the cover of a magazine was still a really big deal.”
In January 2023, Hawaiian surfer Moana Jones Wong rode a wave at Pipeline that was called the Wave of the Winter, and possibly the best wave ever ridden by a female surfer.
The photograph captured from the water by Ryan Craig (@chachfiles) is destined to be one of surfing’s most iconic images. It is also the cover of our new issue, #264. In the magazine, Sachi Cunningham talks to Moana Jones-Wong about her paradigm-shifting wave.
We caught up with Moana to tell her the news of her new cover star status and ask how her life has changed since that wave.
Hi Moana, congratulations on being the Wavelength cover star!
Thanks! I mean the photo by Chach is just off the scale. So to catch that wave, and then have it captured so perfectly and for it still to be reverberating all over the world, it means so much. It means more than my CT Pipe victory over Carissa Moore.
Growing up in Hawaii, being on the cover of a magazine was still a really big deal. So it’s super cool, and a real honour. I’m just so stoked to be a part of it, and that the wave will live on.
The editor Mike Lay described the feature as a story of self-doubt, dedication, and destiny. What do you think he means by that?
Well, I paddled out at first light, and all day I didn’t think I was going to able to catch a wave. The month before I’d had my worst wipeout and injury of my life surfing Pipeline and I was still shaken up and scared about it. I didn’t even know if I’d ever be able to catch a legitimate Pipe wave ever again. So I’d never dreamed that I could do something like that. All my day I was in survival mode; my body was saying don’t go for this wave, don’t go for that wave, and then for some reason when that wave came to me, everything in my being said turn around and go. I didn’t hesitate and paddled my heart out and as soon as stood up I knew I was going to get the ride of my life.
And the dedication and destiny aspect of the wave?
In that split second, I’m not sure if I could have done anything to prepare myself. It’s not luck or skill level; I feel you have to be chosen. Pipeline has to choose you, and on the best wave of the winter, Pipeline chose me.
And what impact has the wave had?
I feel like that wave changed my entire life. That wave is all I’ve ever wanted. If I never catch another wave, I’d still be satisfied. I’d had dreams about that wave for a decade, and I’m still on Cloud 9 six months later.
And do you think one day you could catch a bigger or better wave at Pipe?
If I have the right intention, and not be greedy or take what isn’t mine, then if Pipeline chooses me again I’ll be ready. If she doesn’t, she doesn’t. It’s not up to me.
